Spring NCEA Schedule Shaping Up To Be a Wild Ride

With no clear frontrunner and a big announcement in the winter, collegiate equestrian over the next few months has the potential to be very interesting.

From top left, Auburn, Georgia, UC Davis, Oklahoma State, Lynchburg and SMU all have milestone moments ahead in the spring 2026 NCEA schedule. | Courtesy of Auburn, Georgia, UC Davis, Oklahoma State, Lynchburg and SMU athletics

The first half of the season was topsy-turvy. Why should the second half be any different?

The spring portion of the 2025-26 National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) schedule kicks off this week with teams returning to the arena despite the frigid winter weather impacting much of the country. 

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From no clear frontrunners for the dual discipline title to a shake up in the NCEA competition pool, the storylines going into the back half of the season are something to keep an eye on. 

Truly Anyone’s Game

Georgia, the defending national champion, begins the spring as the No. 1 team in the NCEA’s dual discipline ranking. But the Bulldogs’ grip on the top spot is tenuous at best. 

During the fall, Georgia (5-2) picked up big wins over No. 3 South Carolina (5-2) and No. 4 Texas A&M (3-3), but also lost to No. 2 Auburn (5-1) and No. 7 TCU (3-3). 

Auburn’s lone loss was to TCU. No. 5 Oklahoma State lost to TCU in its opening match, then reeled off four straight wins. No. 6 SMU dropped three straight to open the year, including two incredibly close matches to South Carolina (1-point) and Auburn (raw score), before dominating Texas A&M and closing the fall with two straight wins. 

In short, the top seven teams in the dual discipline rankings have kind of beaten up on each other. With narrow margins and a lot of parity, the quest to be the No. 1 seed going into the 2026 NCEA National Championship in Ocala, Fla., is going to be a tight race. But it might also mean the top team doesn’t leave with the big trophy as the talent runs deep. 

Single Discipline Standouts

While the dual discipline field is up for grabs, two teams have emerged as the early favorites in the single discipline competition. 

No. 1 Lynchburg (6-0) and No. 2 Dartmouth (3-0) have gotten off to unblemished starts, putting them on a potential collision course for April. The Big Green came into the 2025 postseason as the No. 4 seed, upsetting three-time defending champ Lynchburg en route to the program’s first national title. The two schools are not scheduled to meet in the regular season, meaning a potential postseason battle could be the deciding factor in perfection. 

Major Shake Up in NCEA Competition

On January 9, UC Davis made a significant announcement that will impact both the short and long term future of the NCEA. Following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, the Aggies will transition their equestrian program from varsity status to a club sport, meaning UC Davis will no longer compete at the NCEA level.  Here's a letter from NCEA Executive Director Lynn Hickey on the situation.

This move will undoubtedly have a ripple effect as UC Davis and Fresno State are the only two West Coast institutions currently fielding varsity dual discipline programs. The Aggies were likely already slated to be opponents on numerous schedules in 2026-27, leaving a void for teams that will be difficult to fill.

Additionally, the current roster of UC Davis riders will have decisions to make regarding their respective collegiate futures as the program will no longer be at the same competition level. 

Moreover, UC Davis’ decision makes the already uphill process of equestrian earning NCAA Division I status even more difficult. Since 1998, the competition has been classified as an emerging sport with a goal of bringing on enough programs to eventually join the NCAA’s portfolio of sports.

Unfortunately, UC Davis’ decision dampens those efforts as the school was one of just 14 Division I institutions to sponsor a dual discipline program. 

At 4-4 overall and ranked No. 9 in the NCEA dual discipline poll, the Aggies are off to one of their best seasons in recent history with a win over TCU in October and a 3-0 start in Eastern College Athletic Conference competition. 

Matches To Watch

Back in September, South Carolina welcomed SMU to the Palmetto State as Gamecock coach Carol Gwin battled her old team for just the second time since leaving the Mustangs (the two programs met in the NCEA semifinals last year). 

Now, Gwin returns to Dallas as South Carolina visits SMU on Saturday for the first time since the 2019-20 season. Also, SMU western coach Cathy Woosley Luse previously served in the same role in Columbia before her move to the Mustangs, so she will also be seeing former riders she coached during the matchup. 

In November, Auburn dominated Georgia in a home match, picking up a 14-6 win over the visiting Bulldogs. If the Tigers are going to dethrone the reigning national champs for the No. 1 spot, they’ll need to win the encore matchup in Georgia on February 28. 

Since losing its opening match to TCU, Oklahoma State has been on a roll, winning four straight. That’ll be put to the test quickly in the second half of the schedule. The Horned Frogs are slated to visit Stillwater for a rematch on February 13, giving the Cowgirls a chance at redemption and a clear path to the top spot in the Big 12 Championship bracket. 

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